Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-06-14
CHAPTER XVIII.
GO. WOMAN

CHAPTER XVIII.
GO, WOMAN
Then followed silence for minute or so,
during which She appeared, il one might
Judge from the almost angelic rapture OF hor
faco-for sho looked angelic sometimes-to be
plunged in n happy ecstasy. Suddenly, how
ever, new thought struck her, and her ex-
preston became the very reverse of angelic
almost had forgotten" she said, shat
woman Ustane. What is she to Kallikrates
his servant, orr and she paused, and
her voice trembled.
/ shrugged my shoulders. Il understand
that she is wed to him according TO the Gus
tom of the Amahaggcr," answered; "but
know not"
Her face grew dark as a thunder cloud.
Old as she was, Ayesha had not outlived
jealousy.
"Then there is an end" sbo said; "she must
die, oven nowi"
NAY, nay" cried, ait would be a wicked
crime, and from a crime naught comes but
what is evil. For thy own sake do not this
deed"
as it, then, crime, o foolish man, to put
away that which stands between US and our
entlsl Then is our life one long crime, my
Holly; for day by day we destroy that
We may live, since in this world none but the
strongest can endure"
But was deeply anxious TO save Ustane,
whom liked and respected, from the dire
fate that overshadowed her at tho hands Of
her mighty rival. SO l made ono more ap-
peal
9Ayesha,p said, "thou art too subtle for
me; but thou thyself hast told me that each
man should be law unto himself and follow
the teaching of his heart. Hath thy heart no
mercy toward her whose place thou wouldst
takei Bethink thee as thou sayest-though
TO me the thing Is incredible-he whom thou
desirest has returned TO thee after many
years, and but now thou hast, al thou sayest
also, wrung him from the jaws Of death.
Wilt thou celebrate his coming by the murder
of one who loved him, and whom perchance
he loved-one, at any rate, who saved his life
for thee when the spears Of thy slaves would
have made an end thereof Thou sayest also
that in past days thou didst grievously wrong
this man, that with thine own hand thou
didst slay him because OF the Egyptian Amen
artas, whom he loved"
"How linowest thou that, o strangerl How
l.nowest thou that hamel / spoke it not to
theef' she broke in with q cry, catching at
my arm.
aPerchance l dreamed it." l answered;
strange dreams do hover abolt these caves
Of Kor. 1t seems that the dream was, III
deed, shadow of truth. What came to thee
of thy mad crime.-two thousand years of
waiting, was it notl and now wouldst thou
repeat the history Say what thou wilt,
tell thee that evil will come OF It.; for TO him
who doeth, at tho least, good breeds good and
evil evil, even though in after days out Of
evil coIneth good. Ohenses must needs come,
| but woo to him by whom the offense cometh.
| SO said that Messiah Of whom spoke to thee,
and it was truly said. II thou slayest this in
nocent woman, l say unto thee that thou
shalt be accursed, and pluck no fruit from
thine ancient tree of love. Also, what
thinkest thou! How will this man take thee
red handed from the slaughter of her who
| loved and tended him"
| aAs TO that" she answered, IL have already
answered thee! Had slain thee as well as
her, yet should he love me, Holly, because he
could not help himself, my more than thou
couldst help dying, II by chance l slew thee,
o Holly. And yet may be there is truth in
what thou dost say; for in some way it
presseth on my mind. II it may be, will
spare this woman; for have not told thee
that am not cruel for the salss OF cruelty.
love not to sec suffering, or to cause IL Let
her come before me-quick, now, before my
mood changes" and she hastily covered her
face with its gau2y wrapping.
| Well pleased to have succeeded even to this
extent, / passed out into the passage and
called Ustano, whose white garment caught
sight OF some yards away, huddled up against
one of the earthenware lamps that were
placed at intervals along the tunnel. She
rose and ran toward me.
as my lord deadi Oh, say not he is deadl'
she cried, lifting her noble looking face, all
stained as it was with tears, up to me with an
air Of infinite beseeching that went straight
to my heart
"Nay, he lives,n answered. aShe hath
saved him. Enter"
"She sighed deeply and entered, and fell
upon her hands and knees, after the custom
of the Amahagger people, in the presence Of
the dread She.
"Stand," said Ayeshn, in her coolest voice,
aand come hither."
Ustane obeyed, standing before her with
bowed head
Then came pause, which she broke.
aWho is this manp she said, pointing to the
sleeping form of Leo.
"The man is my husband, she answered, in
low voice.
"Who gave him to thee for husbandF
II took him according to the custom Of our
country, oh, She"
"Thou hast done evil. woman, In taking thia
man, who is a stranger He is not man OF
thine own race, and the custom fails. Listen.
Perchance thou didst this thing through L.
noranco; therefore, woman, do I spare theei
otherwise hndst thou died. Listen again. Go
from hence back to thine own place, and
never dare to speak to or SGT thine eyes upon
this man again. He Is not for thee. Listen
o third time, II thou breakfast this, my law,
that moment thou diest. Coz -.
But Ustane did not move.
GGo, womanp '->'"@'S '''oe<
Then she looked up, and ! saw that her
face was torn with passion.
"Nay, OH She, will not go,n she answered,
In choked voice. "The man Is my husband,
and love him; love him, and will not
leave him. What right hast thou to mako
me leave my husbandP
/ saw little culver pass down Ayeshas
frame, and shuddered myself, fearing tho
worst.
"Bc pitiful," said, in Greek; sit Is but
nature working"
II am pitiful," she answered. coldly; "had
/ not been pitiful, she had been dead even
now" Then addressing Ustane, "Woman,
! say to thee go, before destroy thee where
thou artlr
II will not go. He is mine-mineI" sho
cried in anguish. II took him, and saved
his life. Destroy me, then, IL thou hast tho
power will not give thee my. husband
never-nevern
Ayesha mado q movement so swift that
could scarcely follow it, but 1t seemed to me
that she lightly struck the poor girl upon the
hair with her hand. looked at distances
head, and then staggered back In horror; for
there upon her hair, right across her bronze
like tresses, were three finger marks as white
as snow. As for the girl herself, she had put